Dearest Beloved, Alternate Routes 6-X · 12:47am Dec 30th, 2016
If anyone's curious, here are some of the things that could have happened instead. I formatted it a little different so you didn't have to jump back to the chapter to see what the hell I'm talking about with each one.
Chapter Six
B: Pink is twitchy and Schmisse is Toadfall's brother and clearly can't be trusted. Last Call should keep an eye on them, not try and be their friend.
Effect: Bad Karma / -10 Sanity
Result: Last Call builds no trust with Pink or Schmisse. In turn he makes them more suspicious. Relationship scale falls by -20 with both. Schmisse will not share information in the future and will not step in against Toadsfall. Pink may choose to break away from the group. Cruelty +1
2: The tunnels are suicide. Better to risk falling off the mountain than being eaten by something inside it.
Effect: Alternate Scenario - Mountain Path
Result: Group encounters Happenstance. If Karma B, Schmisse falls off the mountain and is killed.
Chapter Seven
B: Last Call should not be afraid to remember they are all expendable, and all that matters is that he saves his wife.
Effect: Bad Karma / -20 Sanity
Result: Cruelty +1. If Cruelty equals 5 or more, Last Call closes the door on Furor when he sees the monsters. Furor dies.
1: Trying to cut through the museum is suicide. Last Call should go through the tunnels. There has to be a way through the tunnels.
Effect: Alternate Scenario - Tunnels
Result: Various injures are sustained in attempt to move through tunnels. Toadsfall finds them and attacks them. If Karma B, Last Call runs and escapes up a narrow ledge alone. If Karma A, Last Call attempts to save Pink and Schmisse, but Schmisse eventually sacrifices himself to slow down Toadsfall. Last Call enters the Labyrinth instead of Museum.
2: The museum is the fastest route. The creatures will be blind in the dark. Last Call can rush through at worst and get to safety.
Effect: Desperation / -10 Sanity
Result: Last Call attempts to lead the group through the Museum. If Karma A, Last Call sustains heavy injuries attempting to protect the group from the Miserable. If Karma B, Last Call uses Furor to lure away the Miserable and brings the rest of his group to safety. It Cruelty 3 or greater, Schmisse and Pink refuse to travel any further with him.
* Third Option chosen here due to tie.
Chapter Eight
A: Sacrifice Furor. It's Last Call's only choice to survive. He has to reach the summit at all costs.
Effect: Focus Shift / Scenario Shift
Result: Toadsfall kills Furor. Toadsfall kills Pink. If Cruelty is 5 and Sanity is 0 or less, Toadsfall recruits Last Call for revenge against Lectern. Otherwise, Toadsfall kills Last Call and focus shifts to Schmisse.
1: Head directly for the summit by the fastest route.
Effect: Sanity -10.
Result: Exhaustion increases. Group avoids Happenstance.
2: Stop to rest at a ranger station.
Effect: Sanity +30 ONLY IF Karma A.
Result: Injuries are treated. Silent Wish rejoins if Karma B. Happenstance finds and rejoins the group. A mysterious fire occurs when [Character] takes a rest and kills [Determined by Karma/Relationship score].
* Third Option chosen here due to tie.
Chapter Nine
A: Last Call should be prepared to make any sacrifices necessary in the journey ahead. He has to reach his wife. He has to save her. He owes her too much.
Effect: Bad Karma / Cruelty +1 / - 20 Sanity
Result: Last Call attempts to leave Happenstance behind. Silent Wish and Furor fall back to look after him. Furor dies and Silent Wish and Happenstance vanish.
2: Last Call should head to the ruins and the excavation site. It's where a cult would hide out.
Effect: Alternate Scenario
Result: Last Call heads to the excavation site on the mountain and encounters Anguish. He does not encounter Pink and Schmisse. When he eventually escapes he heads to the Abandoned Station and misses the cable car. Last Call is exhausted.
Chapter Ten
A: Last Call should take all the supplies he can, and leave Schmisse and Pink at the cable car station.
Effect: Bad Karma / -10 Sanity
Result: Last Call takes all supplies from Pink and Schmisse. Pink tries to leave by cable car with Schmisse. Schmisse is delirious and Pink is attacked by Banshee. Pink and Schmisse die. Last Call is attacked and chased by Devourer. If Plot 1, Last Call follows the light and escapes into the Mansion. If Plot 2, Last Call cannot escape and is forced to fortify himself inside the Town. Last Call is severely injured.
1: It is nighttime.
Effect: Awareness
Result: Last Call can follow lanterns. Phantasms are less aware of Last Call's presence.
2: It is daytime.
Effect: Awareness
Result: Last Call is blinded by fog and has no points of interest to follow. Phantasms are fully aware of Last Call and actively react to his presence, making him more of a target for hostile forces.
* Third Option chosen here due to tie.
Chapter Eleven
A: He stands between you and your wife, Last Call. Kill him.
Effect: Bad Karma / Cruelty + 2
Result: Last Call kills Lectern in front of the mare. She runs away from him. He chases after her.
1: Last Call finds the study.
Effect: Alternate Scenario
Result: Last Call finds the picture of Happenstance. Last Call realizes that Happenstance is involved in this somehow. If Karma B, adds questions during conversation with Lectern. Happenstance is no longer able to surprise Last Call.
2: Last Call finds the altar.
Effect: Alternate Scenario
Result: Last Call finds Happenstance. Happenstance manipulates Last Call until they find Lectern. Last Call is badly injured and Lectern is taken by Happenstance. The mare comes to lead Last Call to temporary safety.
* Third Option chosen here due to tie.
Chapter Twelve
B: The Malice is coming. Everything has gone wrong. Save yourself.
Effect: Bad Karma / Cruelty +2
Result: Last Call attempts to run from Happenstance. Happenstance follows Last Call, but instead of killing him, returns him to his wife to mock them. Happenstance eventually becomes bored and decides to leave them to return to Equestria. [Coward's Sword Epilogue]
2: Last Call remembers the Argument.
Effect: Alternate Scenario
Result: Last Call recounts his last argument with the mare. Changes cause of death / Last Call's Sin.
Chapter Thirteen
A: PUNISHMENT
Effect: Alternate Ending
Result: Last Call attempts to explain himself, but ultimately is attacked and chased by Love Scorned. He is eventually captured and consumed. [Love In Stone Epilogue]
Chapter Fourteen
Personality and Decision modifiers are tallied together. Forced Epilogue decisions take precedence. Karma and Plot points are both taken into account for all final calculations.
Epilogue - Never Without You
Conditions Met:
- The Evil possessed Toadsfall to create the Devourer
- The Devourer chased Last Call into the Town
- The Evil did not possess Last Call
- Last Call escaped Point of Atonement
- Last Call did not abandon his home
- Last Call maintained neutral sanity
- Last Call made mainly positive decisions
Okay, this could have gone a lot worse. I hope some part of my mind can convince me that my choices were for the best.
Also, what happened to Pink? Last I heard of her, she was missing.
So many different outcomes, so much differing events... By the way, there's a problem with the spoilers for chapter thirteen.
4360828
The idea behind Pink was that she was Pinkie, but all her life had been controlled by the Spirit of Laughter until she escaped its control. In essence she wasn't really Pinkie, but nor was she a Pinkamena. So the Ghost she was referring to and the thing that recaptures her is the spirit. That was what she encountered in the trolley and what took her away again.
I feel like things considered we broke pretty even with how this could have gone. Definitely victory if not a heartening one, considering what happened to the mare and most of the ponies who were named but Ill take it.
4360863
Thanks very much for pointing that out. And yeah, I really wanted to try and avoid making it too cookie-cutter, so to speak: I had different endings planned out and I wanted to make sure that Last Call evolved and changed as much as possible based on where his choices were taking him.
I hope you enjoyed the story through and through, though, and thanks for reading and voting. I really appreciated it and it really helped shape the story.
4361077
Holey crap. That's scary. Real scary.